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The Extinct Thylacine, AKA Tasmanian Tiger

September 4, 2015

Written byCuriosity Staff

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Though their jaws are impressive, thylacines were generally shy animals and fearful of humans. Their extinction is thought to be caused by multiple factors, including a surge in bounty hunting, the introduction of wild dogs, and habitat destruction. Thylacines were officially designated as extinct when the last captive specimen, "Benjamin," died in 1936. Some people maintain that there are still wild thylacines hiding on Tasmania today, but no conclusive evidence of their existence has emerged.